Meet #thejadesquad

meet dakota

Dakota: an abandoned pup who found a home in the lap of a lonely girl six years ago in Franklin, Tn. Since then, Dakota has traveled the US making friends and exploring trails. She is particularly fond of hiking, swimming, running, SUP, riding with the windows down, playing with tiny bugs, her new kitten, her playmate Waverly, and climbing on tables. She has almost mastered running with the segway, and she says she can’t wait to show you her tricks .

I have been told by some very wise Australians that Dakota girl is an Australia Kelpie. I have always wanted to be from australia, so i took the opportunity and ran with it. I have since learned that she is bread to heard sheep by jumping on their backs and guiding them back to the flock. This immediately explained her need to jump and balance on everything i own. ( perhaps this is why i also like goats? ) and her extreme capacity to sense my emotional state. She is my constant companion and is my shepherd, anchor and friend during the dark hours.

When I finally fall asleep and let the pain roll through me, she leaves the room and positions herself on the couch while she watches the front door. That’s when Waverly takes over.

meet waverly 

Meet Waverly: a full-bred blue heeler whose mom cross mingled with the mini heeler down the street, creating a crazy but
tiny spirit of energy. named after her name sake Waverly, Tennessee, she has grown up around the water and is the
first to jump in the ocean to catch that dolphin. 
remember when i adopted her? a month out of my hysterectomy, I yearned for some fresh life inside the walls of my
home. knowing dakota was an “aussie cattle dog” i wanted a dog with matched energy, heart, spirit and personality.
heelers heel. they imprint on someone by the time they are 3 moths old. i have been lucky enough to have her as my
constant companion for the past 3 years. she lays by me when i am stuck in bed, jumps in the shower with me when
i cry, gets me out of bed when i feel like shit, and can run beside the segway like a BOSS.
i also think she is capable of jumping across a 17 ft chasm in the middle of a fire while she is underwater without
legs and eyeballs if she knew i was on the other side. she’s that bad-ass.
she is quite literally my blue healer.

meet nova-luna

Nova-luna : noun. Could also be used as a verb.
“ small feline with kitten-like characteristics. Raised by a blue healer, “nova-luna” is half dog rolled into the spryness of a squirrel, as evidenced by her maroon-black squirrel-cat tail. The noun is both descriptive and implies movement, “ when the night falls and the stars shine, the feline transforms into a nova-luna like creature who lights up with intensity in light and speed only witnessed in that of a nova cascading to earth.

Three Hundred Square Foot Jade Cottage Tiny Home In Savannah, Georgia

If you know me at all, you know I have had a little bit of an obsession with tiny house living since I discovered it was a possibility over 9 years ago. Since then I have lived in almost every form of home: ranch, loft, rentals, fixer-uppers and I even bought a house! 

It seemed like a really far-off possibility until I left my marriage and needed an affordable and safe place to live in Savannah while I re-grouped my life. After almost giving up home I'd be able to find a place I could afford, this little cottage was listed on Craigslist and I immediately bit.. six months later, and I am still calling this little cottage home with waverly, dakota and nova-luna. 

The photos were taken in February, and things have been arranged-and-rearranged since then, but they are basically the same. I have spent a lot of time and energy sculpting my space into a space that is easy to clean, easy to arrange, requires little thought about cleaning, and one that makes me feel happy and alive. The products and art that I have chosen aren't by chance, and have been chosen based upon their affordability.. mostly I have just gotten rid of a lot of things I don't need and have kept the things that enhance my life. 

As Marie Kondo says, only the things that "spark joy" remain.  Shall we tour? 

The cottage has been thoughtfully laid out and is one of the most space efficient tiny spaces I've ever been inside! When you walk in the front door you are met with the the entirety of the cottage (minus the laundry/bathroom/closet), but the kitchen is directly in front of you. We will start there:

The art on the kitchen walls is by my talented friend Allie Lehman. The fridge is littered with client letters, Christmas cards, developed film and far away friends. 

There is a small stovetop with a little oven underneath that suits me perfectly. All of the drawers have been organized following Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up  , which I will be sharing lots more of soon!

Tunes are kept playing in the cottage thanks to my free record player I scored in Nashville from Third Man Records , and I keep local magazines like Savannah and South for guests to read while I cook. 

If you look further down the wall that houses the fridge and record player, you'll find a couch I made from a score on craigslist + cushions I upholstered and found at thrift stores and ikea. The wall above the couch is littered with art from Emily Jeffords, Britt Bass, Teil Duncan, Hillary Butler, KATE Waddell, my sister and myself. 

The art above my bed was a sweet gift from Linen and Leaf , the macramé prayer flags over my bed are a gift from Be With Heart  , the small yellow and white weaving is from Hazel and Scout, and the other various things in my home are most likely finds from thrift stores, from Ikea, made by myself and/or gifts from friends!